What is paired reading? Paired (Shared) Reading is a very good way for parents to help with their children’s reading. Research shows that it works really well and reading improves quite significantly in a short amount of time. Paired reading fits in very well with the teaching of reading at school and most children really like it because it helps them with fluency, accuracy, expression, intonation and pronunciation.

When should you do paired reading? It is really beneficial if paired reading happens daily. You only need to do five to ten minutes each day. Paired reading can be done with anyone who is a fluent reader and if not mum or dad, then granny, grandad or an older brother or sister can help. They should do paired reading in just the same way as mum or dad. It is sometimes a good idea to let them watch it being done, so they know just what to do.

How do you pair read? You and your child read the words out loud together. Don’t go too fast. Make your speed manageable for your child to keep up. Your child must read every word even if they are just a split second behind you when reading. Keep the reading fluent. If your child struggles with a word revisit the sentence so that they reread any difficult words. Don’t stop during a paired reading session and wait for your child to decode an unknown word. Just say the right word yourself and give your child the opportunity to repeat it properly. Make sure that your child looks at the words. It can help if one of you points to the word you are reading.

Here is a short video modelling paired reading.

Gail Mitchell, Head of Primary